


Unspoken

by Chibiness87



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: 3+1, Angst, Brotherly Love, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I wrote this instead of working..., Missing Scene, Newt's creatures, Post-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 15:52:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16790038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibiness87/pseuds/Chibiness87
Summary: Three conversations that didn't happen, and one which (probably) did.





	Unspoken

Unspoken, by chibiness87  
Rating: G  
Spoilers: Crimes of Grindelwald  
Disclaimer: Not mine

* * *

1

He spots Newt hanging, as he tends to do, on the edge of the gathering by the wall. Hands in pockets, chin slightly bowed, Theseus still spots the way his brother’s eyes track her every move, even from across the room. Sliding up to stand beside him, Theseus takes a moment to observe her himself. She isn’t exactly pretty, not in the way her sister is, but there is an air about her that still draws the eye. She is sure of herself, too, her tone no-nonsense and strong when she speaks, her eyes hard. But as he watches, he sees her notice the two of them by the wall, and even from this distance he sees her posture soften, her eyes warm, even as she offers Newt a half smile, just creeping in at the corner of her mouth. Newt, to his amazement, quirks a smile back, and Theseus cannot help the playful nudge he gives to his brothers shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Newt doesn’t move, his attention still on the woman across the room. “Tell you what?”

“The real reason for wanting your international travel ban revoked.”

Newt blushes. It’s faint, but Theseus has been his brother for the whole of Newt’s life, and he knows what the slightly more pronounced freckles on his cheeks mean. Hands delving deeper into his pockets, his shoulders come up, like he is hunching in on himself. It is a tactic Theseus has observed for years. “I don’t know what you…” Newt starts, before he stops. Bites his lip. “I mean, that is to say… Travelling internationally was always the…”

Theseus has to stop him before he convinces himself the lie he is attempting is in fact the truth. Gently now, teasing tone replaced by something more genuine, something more brotherly, he asks, “Newt, why didn’t you just tell me it was because of a girl?”

Newt physically balks at that, flushing red for a moment, wide eyes flashing to his for a second in shock and fear, before returning to where his attention has been held this entire time. His voice is shaking, despite the effort Theseus can see his brother is putting in to keep it calm and level. “Who said it had anything at all to do with Tina?”

Theseus raises his eyebrows, saying nothing.

Newt sighs, eyes closing for a moment. Quietly, he whispers, “Would it have changed anything? Would you have even believed me if I had?”

Theseus has to stop at that. Because, truth be told, he probably wouldn’t have. Unless the female in question was some rare creature, which, with the way his little brother has yet to take his eyes off her, she might very well be. “Well,” he says, before falling silent, conceding the point his brother has made.

Newt, somehow, understands what he does not have the words to say. Finally taking his eyes from the American, he nods. “You see?” he asks. “That’s why.”

Theseus says nothing, sighs gently. Taking a step away, he pauses. Turns back. “For what it’s worth, I’m happy for you.”

Newt nods, a soft smile tilting at the edge of his mouth, eyes falling back to Tina. Voice soft, Theseus almost misses it when his brother whispers, “Thank you.”

* * *

2

“You know, I still don’t know what really happened there.”

Tina looks up at the sudden break in the silence. Theseus stands, hands in pockets, head bowed, and just for a moment she can see Newt in his mannerisms. He glances at her, then back to where his brother stands with his own head bowed, silent by the stone. Tina follows his gaze, feels her heart give a thump at the sight. Seeming to read her unasked question, Theseus continues. “Between Newt and…” He bites the word off, her name still a raw wound for all of them, but the elder Scamander especially. Theseus sniffs. Clears his throat. Turning so he now faces her, he continues, “All I know, one day they’re the best of friends, and the next, they can’t even look at each other.”

Tina suddenly knows exactly when he’s talking about. The confession had come out the last time he was in New York, between sending Frank the Thunderbird home, and his departure from the docks. The reason he suspects Dumbledore had stood up for him when no-one else had. Somehow, the perceptive wizard had known the truth without a single word being said. “You mean when Newt took the blame for what Le…” she winces, cuts the name short. “Sorry. For what she did?”

_“What_?”

Theseus gapes at her. Confused, Tina expands. “At school? It’s why he was expelled. I thought…” She trails off, a new dread filing her. “I mean, you _knew_ that, right?” Her eyes widen, panic filling her. He must have known the truth. Must have. He was engaged to one party and the brother of the other. He _must_ know. Voice shaking slightly, she implore, “You already…”

“I…” But Theseus trails off, only able to shake his head, eyes bright and wild.

Tina gasps, eyes flicking to the younger brother for a moment to ensure they are still alone. But Newt has yet to move. “I’m sorry.” Tina turns to face Theseus once more. “I’m so… I didn’t…” Helpless, she falls silent.

“Why?” Theseus turns to look at his brother for a moment, before casting wide eyes at her. “Why would he _do_ that?”

A tear Tina has been fighting finally breaks its way free, angrily, she pushes it aside. Voice slightly sharper than she intends, she hisses, “You know the answer to that.”

Seeming to wilt under her fierce gaze, Theseus nods. They stand in a heavy silence for a moment, before he sighs. Pain lacing his voice, he asks, “Why?” When Tina doesn’t say anything, only quirks an eyebrow in question, he adds, “Why didn’t she tell me?”

Tina places a gentle hand on his shoulder for a moment, before moving to go and stand beside Newt. Pausing after a step, she turns back and looks at him. Voice soft, she sighs. “You know the answer to that, too.”

She moves off, leaving Theseus with the unspoken truth on the wind.

* * *

3

“You stopped writing.” His voice comes out slightly… louder than he would like. More abrupt. Stopping in the maze of the records room, he knows they don’t really have time for this. But the revelation that she read and believed the stupid article in the stupid magazine hurts. Hurts that she would read it and believe it and not even ask… So, “You stopped writing. To me.” he says again, like there is any doubt as to who the recipient of the letters could possibly be, and this time the words are tinged with pain.

It takes Tina a couple of steps further into to realise he has stopped, and she stumbles to a halt. Turning, he sees the moment her eyes go hard. “So did you.”

Newt blinks, shocked. “No I didn’t.” It comes out automatically. The thought of pages upon pages he has stored, ready to be sent on the first hint they would be well received.

Tina opens her mouth, but he continues before she can utter a word. “Not, not really,” Newt concedes. “I mean, I have them all, still. They’re all…” He waves his free hand at his ever present case. “And my book. I was… Only it’s not… not finished, yet. Not… there’s still…” He stops. Takes a breath. “It’s the, the thing is, it’s all been a bit… I mean, I…”

Taking a step closer, his tone softens. Becomes tender. “You stopped writing, you see. And I thought, perhaps, you didn’t want to see me after all. So I thought… if I never finished, well, then that was the reason.” He looks at her though his messy fringe, cheeks burning. “I could use that as a reason, why I didn’t come back. So I wouldn’t find out. Not because I couldn’t, because… because that… well, that was part of it too.” Voice lowering to almost a whisper, he mutters, “Bloody Theseus,” before raising his voice again. “But I thought, I was never really any good at this. Being…” He looks down. Looks away. Nervous, he scratches behind his ear for a moment. “And I’ve probably messed it all up anyway. And I should… sorry. I should just… It’s just, I… the thing is…”

He bites his lip for a moment, before raising his eyes to catch hers. Sees the salamander in them, the fire and water that has been haunting him for weeks, months, ever since he had to say goodbye to her on the docks. “Tina, when I said I wanted you to be happy, I wasn’t… there was more that I wanted to say. But Queenie said you were. Happy. So… I just…” His nerve failing, he looks away again.

“Newt.” She has closed the distance between them throughout his mumbling, and now he could reach out and touch her if he wanted to. There are tears in her eyes now, he notices, and as watches one breaks free. Feeling emboldened, he reaches up to wipe it from her cheek before she can do the same.

Dropping his hand, he takes a step back. Looks down again. “I want you to be happy,” he tells the space at her feet. And then he looks back up. Looks at her. Really looks. Makes sure their eyes meet, gets to the point he’s been trying to make to her since he found her locked in the sewer. “But more than that, Tina, I want you to be happy with me.”

* * *

+1

He stumbles to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, taking in the visage before him. She is sat in front of the Nifflers cage, one of the young creatures nestled in her arms. Transfixed, he stares for a moment, before a faint snuffle that definitely does not come from the Niffler spurs him into motion. “Tina…”

She freezes, wiping hastily at the tears staining her cheeks. “Sorry.” Pushing the Niffler back to its siblings, she stands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” Taking a step, she starts heading towards the stairs. “Sorry, I’ll just…”

As she moves past, his hand darts out, catching her arm. “No,” he says, soft but firm. Shaking his head, he adds, “You’re not intruding.” Loosening his grip slightly, he ducks his head. “Stay.” When she doesn’t move, he chances a glance up at her. More firmly now, he nods. “Stay.”

“I…” He can see the war going on in her eyes, the fire drowning in their watery depths, even as she glances once more up the stairs.

“You’re not intruding. You could never…” He bites himself off, mouth clamping shut. Slowly, Tina nods, and he draws her back into his inner sanctum. Pushing piles of paper off a crate, he pulls a blanket from inside, laying it on the surface. Taking a seat, he nods for her to do the same, smiling slightly when she sits closer than he thought she might. They sit there in silence for a moment, taking in the view. He has placed them by the Zouwu’s enclosure, and they watch as he bounds about, chasing dust motes, his delight obvious.

He doesn’t know how long they sit there, watching, before she turns to face him. She takes a breath, before finally breaking the silence. “I’m sorry about Leta.” She bites her lip, and he can tell she hasn’t quite finished, even as protests fly to his mouth. “And for… not telling you. About Jacob, I mean.” She ducks her head, swiping at her eyes for a second. “It’s just… back home…”

Newt dares to cover her hand for a moment, stilling her. “I remember.”

“Yeah.” She nods, sniffs. Falls silent, her attention drawn back to the creature before them. Nodding in the direction of the enclosure, she asks, “What are you going to do with it?”

“Him.” When she puzzles her brow, he adds, “He’s a he.” Warming to the topic, creatures making more sense to him than a human ever could, he continues. “The mane, you see. Easiest way to tell. The female has different shades of red and gold compared to the male, not quite as bright, a bit more… rustic.” Seeing her paying attention, tears for the moment banished, he hurries on. “It’s actually quite interesting, how the male will change the colours of his mane to reflect those of…”

“Newt.” She’s smiling, a fondness in her tone that has been missing since Paris. Since New York.

Falling quiet, he ducks his head. “Sorry. I tend to do that. Go on a bit.”

“It’s fine.”

They fall into silence again. Twisting his hands in his lap, Newt flounders for something to do. To say. Something that won’t sound trite or obvious or stupid. He’s always struggled with words, especially around humans, and not for the first time does he wish he had a bit more of an idea on how to deal with members of his own species.

Tina must sense his disquiet, because she turns her head slightly, catches his eye out of the corner of her own. “You don’t have to keep me company,” she says, hunching her shoulders. “I’m fine. You can go.” She nods towards the stairs. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

“You don’t have to.” The argument is out of his mouth before he quite gives it permission to. But now it is in the open, he doesn’t want to take it back.

Eyes wide, Tina stares at him for a second. “What?”

Suddenly shy again, Newt ducks his head. “If you wanted to.” He pauses, takes a breath. Looks up at her, making sure she can read the sincerity in his tone when he offers, “You can stay down here.”

Tina bites her lip, eyes swimming. “Would you mind…?” This time, it is her who ducks their head. “I’m not sure if I could face…”

Newt nods, a feeling of elation bubbling up in his chest. “We can stay here. For as long as you need.” Hesitantly, he reaches out, curls an arm around her waist for a second. The one arm hug lasts only for a moment, but it is enough.

Beside him, Tina sighs, tension draining out of her, leaving her looking soft. Tender. Smooth, but no less strong. “Thank you.” They fall into quiet again, but this time there is no tension around them. After a while, she nods to the enclosure in front of them. “What else do you know about Zouwus?”

“They can leap miles in a single bound, when fully grown. This one, I think he’s about 3. Like a teenager, really. Not quite able to jump the distances, but you can see he’s more than willing to try.”

Tina hums, leaning close, resting her head on his shoulder. He continues, pulling up every fact he can think of about Zouwus, his words taking on a melodic tone. He sees when her eyes close, her hand finding his where it rests on his thigh, and he twines their fingers together, giving her hand a soft squeeze.

Eventually, he runs out of words, but she doesn’t move. Content, it seems for now, to steal this moment for themselves.

“It’ll be okay,” he finds himself whispering to the air around them. Tina stirs, her eyes meeting his, and he can read the hope in them. “Maybe not tomorrow, or next week, or even next year. But it’ll be okay, Tina.”

“How do you know?”

“Because we’re the good guys.” He smiles for a second, brittle and pain filled, but there. Angling his head, he brushes his lips against her temple. Not quite a kiss, but more than a caress. Lowering his head, he takes a breath, letting her scent infuse him for a moment. He swallows, loud in the otherwise quiet cocoon they have sequestered themselves into. “And in the end,” he squeezes her hand. An acknowledgment of things to come. A promise between them. Making sure to meet her eyes, he tells her, “And in the end, the good guys win.”

* * *

End

Thoughts?


End file.
